Just Awesome and Icey!

Hey Mom and Den,

Things here are awesome!  Holidays as a missionary aren't really holidays, but instead of going out to party for New Year's we were able to watch missionary movies at the Emmerson's house.  Great family!  They have some funny stories about Elder Yancey that were fun to hear about.  So that was pretty fun.  Emmy is ready to go for Saturday.  We're really excited for her, but she's still really nervous.  We transferred Russ to the missionaries in his ward and he's still going strong.  Kinda disappointing that we can't be there for his baptism, but we're excited nonetheless.
Um... let's see what else is going on lately.  Oh, a guy we're working with, Jimmy Tungate, who has been meeting with the missionaries for years (actually met them back in the Glenrose ward of all places) but he's one big step closer to getting baptized.  We're just waiting on approval from Salt Lake for his baptism and then he'll be good to go.  I've never seen someone so eager to get baptized.  He's put so much work into getting to this point in his life.  It's just awesome to see!
Well, I love you guys and miss you tons!
Love, Elder Ririe

Talk to you soon!

Dear Mom and Den,

10606 N. Windham Ct
Spokane, WA  99208

I figured you would want that first!  ;)   Thanks for that card.  I got it and Sis. Engstrom called me and told me she got the package and should be dropping it off to me later today. 

Things here are pretty good.  Elder Bernards is a really good guy....mostly quiet and keeps to himself.  I hope after a little bit he starts to warm up and starts talking more.  The wards are good.  We spend all day at church from 7 am to 6 pm and lots and lots of meetings.  LOL...enough to give you a headache after sitting for so long, but we have lots going on here with one person on date for baptism in each ward and a few other people who are really close. 

The first is Emmy Rodgers.  She's 9 and she's really excited about being baptized.  Next is a guy named Russ and we put him on date for baptism last night for the 5th of February.  He's an awesome dude who is like a spiritual giant!  Then we have the Houstons, and Chet (the husband) is really close.  You can tell he's always absorbing information and thinking a lot.  Great family!!!

We live with the Hallers.  Nice folks, really nice.  Their house is filled with all sorts of super expensive stuff and I feel like I'm always going to break something, so I just usually stay in our room because I would HATE to break something! 

That's really all I can think of right now.  I love ya tons and I'll TALK to you soon!!!

Love, Elder Lance Ririe

Happy #22 To Our Favorite Missionary!

Happy Birthday Elder Ririe!!!
We LOVE you!!!

Birthday Snow!

Hi Mom and Den,
Loved the birthday package!  It was legendary!  I don't think I've taken the hat off yet!  Good birthday so far and the holiday was good.  A little lonely, but I guess that's just how it goes sometimes.  Got the package and the letter...both were good!

It's not snowing anymore right now, but we should be getting 6 - 9 inches tomorrow.  It's crazy how it snows here...just dumps and dumps.  Then it gets cold and icy.  I think its like 22 degrees right now.  That's cold!  And yes, since it's P-day I'm in shorts and sandals.  (Sis. Crump can verify!)

We had another slow week.  People really didn't want to come outside with the cold or they weren't home for the holiday.  Not sure.  But the good news is that we have the nativity this week and we get to sing outside for three 4 hour shifts during it.  Funny cause I really can't sing, so my thought was that between me and the cold, people will be rushing inside.  Ha Ha

Love you guys tons!

Elder Lance Ririe

**** BREAKING NEWS ****

WE HAVE A RELEASE DATE!!!  HE'LL BE HOME MARCH 7TH!!!!!!!!

"Coming Home Soon Papers in the Mail!"

Hey Mom and Den,

Sorry I wasn't able to write much last week.  The internet kept crashing before I could get a letter out.


That's awesome that Nicki made the team again!

Things here are pretty good.  We found a new family to teach.  They are awesome!  The Keipe's.  They are Catholic but are really open and have lots of sincere questions about the church, so we look forward to teaching them more.  We found them through a family in the ward that invited them over for dinner, so we are very excited to be teaching them.  Other than that things have been pretty slow - lots of appointments canceling.

Glad to hear you guys are doing great.  I got yours and Gramma's letters, so let Gramma know that I got it.  Not too much of an exciting week other than the Keipe's, but things are good.  It hasn't snowed yet, just getting colder and rainy.  But it just won't snow.  They say maybe on Thursday, but I still saw somebody  mowing their lawn yesterday so who knows.    And I got the Ensign.  Thanks a bunch!!  That's fun for Hunter getting asked to the dance.

Oh.....I got my "going home soon papers" in the mail last week.  They need to know which airport I'm flying into, Pres. Welch's address, and the bishops address.  So if you could get me that stuff that'd be great!

So that's whats up here!  Love you guys a tons and miss ya lots too!

Elder Lance Ririe

November Rain!

Dear Mom and Den,

Well, all it did this week was rain - just hasn't been cold enough to snow except for when it's NOT raining.  Then it's just windy and cold.  The work is starting to pick up and we have an awesome new ward mission leader, Bro. Cribbs.  He's an awesome convert to the church.  Awesome story how he joined and so he's really gung ho about the missionary work here, so we're glad to have him here.

Halloween was uneventful.  We had to go inside as soon as trick-or-treaters came out, so we were done at like 4:30.  We had dinner at the Sosa's and then went home.  But with transfer calls....we are BOTH staying here, which will be great!  I'm way excited for that, but it has me a little worried for the next transfer that is 5 days before Christmas.  But I'll try not to think about that one right now.  I'm really excited for next Sunday!  It will be Sis. Futi's one year mark since she was baptized!  That's amazing to look back on that whole experience with them and how they are still coming to church.  And she's getting ready to go to the temple with Sis. Sosa!

That's all that really happened this week.  We tracted an apartment complex and it was filled with Iraqi immigrants....they don't like us too much so we got chased out of there.  But, hey, that's the fun of tracting!  Right?  Ha Ha

I miss you guys tons and love ya even more!  For my birthday I would love some peanut butter cookies (in a plastic container only cause they don't get hard as fast) but that's all I can think of.  At least for now!

Love ya tons,
Elder Lance Ririe